The Continuum of Health: An Integrated Approach to Whole Food, Plant-Based Diets

The Continuum of Health: An Integrated Approach To

Whole Food, Plant-Based Diets

Pt 1 -The Evidence

Jeff Novick, MS, RD

A diet that is (1) based predominately on a variety of

minimally processed fruits, vegetables, starchy vegetables,

roots/tubers, whole grains and legumes and (2) low in fat, saturated fat, calorie density, and (3) low in added sugars, oils and salt, has been documented to prevent and/or reverse disease - even for those who are seriously ill - in many published studies over the last 60 years. The results from these studies, which use differing specific diets in them, documents the importance and the effectiveness of this overall dietary pattern over any one specific version of this diet. This dietary pattern is commonly referred to as the Whole Food, Plant-Based Low/No SOS diet or simply the WFPB SOS or just WFPB.

When discussing the WFPB diet, it is important to understand that there is no one single program but there are some common denominators among all of the successful programs. While the programs are all very similar, they are not identical. Not all of the programs are vegetarian or vegan. Some of the programs allow for a small amount of certain animal products and some don't. Some allow for a small amount of non-fat dairy and some don't. Some allow for a small amount of oil and some don't.

The leading programs out there that have produced and/or are producing published peer-reviewed credible research are the ones taught by Dean Ornish, MD, and the Preventive Medical Research Institute (PMRI); The Pritikin Longevity Center; Caldwell Esselstyn, MD and the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute; John McDougall, MD and the McDougall Program; Neal Barnard, MD and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM); Dr Hans Diehl and the Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP); and Walter Kempner, MD, and the Rice Diet program.

While the WFPB dietary pattern has become extremely popular, many misconceptions about these programs exist. Part of the problem is that there are many people who are teaching their own versions of these programs. Therefore, to help clarify these programs, I have compiled the following information and links with a listing to each of the programs that have published research, their program guidelines and links to their research studies. In the next three articles, I will detail the common denominators of these programs and set some nutritional guidelines, show how the WFPB dietary pattern is also in line with the recommendations of the leading national and international health organizations and lastly, discuss the relationship of the WFPB diet to veganism and the vegan diet.

I am including the work of Dr Alan Goldhamer and the TrueNorth Health Center, where Michael Klaper, MD, is on staff. While their focus is primarily on medically supervised water-fasting, they also promote a WFPB, SOS-free diet and have published several studies on their work.